A Drought in California is Hurting the Pistachio Industry

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You've seen dozens of celebrities — from Sy to Stephen Colbert — hawking pistachios in commercials, and probably expect to see more. But those spots may have to take a break if the nut supply continues to dwindle. The pistachio industry is getting hit hard because of the severe drought in California.

According to Produce News, the executive director of American Pistachio Growers, Richard Matoian, said the industry was on track to produce 1 billion pounds of pistachios between 2018 and 2020, but the extreme drought on the West Coast means that projection is no longer on target. Growers have been forced to use drip irrigation to conserve water, which will impact pistachio growth.